Ask-A-Linguist Message Details

Subject:

ditransitive verbs, implied prepositions

Question:

A friend and I disagree about the second sentence in this passage:
''After Richard opened the window, the bird flew out. It was like a
child whom he was now granting freedom.''
My friend holds that the sentence should be ''It was like a child to
whom he was now granting freedom.'' I think the preposition is
implied and isn't required.
Thank you!